Strapi 4 will officially reach end-of-life (EOL) in April 2026; after that date, security updates will no longer be provided. For Portalworks customers still using Strapi v4, this deadline is not just an organizational milestone—it poses a fundamental security risk.
### What happened?
Starting in October 2025, no new bug-fix releases will be created for Strapi 4; only security releases will be provided until April 2026. The system will be in a maintenance-only phase—new features are out of the question, and even critical bugs will no longer be addressed. After April 2026, organizations will be exposed to security vulnerabilities, as newly discovered vulnerabilities will no longer be patched.
### Why is this relevant?
This development is critical for production systems. After the EOL date, even security fixes will be discontinued, which can make projects on v4 vulnerable to exploits and compliance concerns. At the same time, community support is declining as most users migrate to v5. In a fast-paced security landscape, an unsupported version is an unacceptable risk.
### Technical and Strategic Implications
The migration to Strapi v5 brings substantial changes that require careful planning. Strapi 4 plugins are generally not directly compatible with Strapi 5; the good news is that most popular plugins have already released Strapi 5 updates.
Technically, developers must expect several breaking changes: a REST API with a flatter nesting structure, Document Service instead of Entity Service, new file upload requirements, Node 18+ required, and removed/renamed internal packages such as @strapi/utils and the helper plugin.
The good news: Strapi offers a CLI upgrade tool that automates many code changes, although you’ll need to manually test and fix issues after the automated process.
### Our Expert Position
Waiting until April 2026 is not an option. Companies should plan their migration immediately. August 2026 will be no different—v4 will be unusable by then. Portalworks recommends a proactive strategy:
1. Audit: Identify all active v4 projects and their plugin dependencies.
2. Prioritization: Start with business-critical systems running in production environments.
3. Testing phase: Use automated migration tools, but define realistic test scenarios for your custom code and integrations.
4. Rollout plan: Ensure that teams are trained and rollback scenarios are in place.
Strapi 5 receives all new security patches and bug fixes; running on v5 ensures a secure and stable foundation with timely updates from the Strapi team.
### Conclusion
Migration is not optional—it is urgently needed. Those who are ready should not hesitate: The Strapi community has provided official resources, migration guides, and a robust upgrade tool. It is an investment that pays off many times over.
Portalworks supports your Strapi migration from strategy through to production deployment—contact us for a no-obligation analysis of your v4 projects.
